


Two Lights

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [96]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 07:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10354869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Tommy takes Felicity sailing for the first time. After a day on the ocean, they go to dinner. Oliver becomes their topic of conversation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further. 
> 
> This fic is for the lovely Deena K's birthday. I'm not sure where you are on the globe today, so I hope you receive this on your birthday. You asked for the first time Tommy took Felicity sailing. It is more angsty than I intended, I blame Oliver. Happy Birthday!
> 
> I'm not telling this series in chronological order. Some readers have requested that I provide a chronological order for the fics in the series. There is no need to read them in chronological order, but in case you'd like to, the list is below. This installment is 3/96. (There is a known issue at AO3. If viewing the stories from the series page, the story numbers aren't always correct. The story number when you open the individual stories is correct).  
> 1\. Beautiful Stranger (Part 28)  
> 2\. The Hack of the Golden Dragon (Part 36)  
> 3\. Two Lights (Part 96)  
> 4\. Girl Wednesday (Part 41)  
> 5\. This Time Last Year (Part 44)  
> 6\. We’ve Got Tonight (Part 85)  
> 7\. The First Time (Part 1)  
> 8\. Distraction (Part 95)  
> 9\. The Interim CEO (Part 88)  
> 10\. Aloe and Chamomile (Part 40)  
> 11\. The Italian Restaurant (Part 3)  
> 12\. Ground Rules (Part 43)  
> 13\. Do The Hustle (Part 21)  
> 14\. The Secret Ingredient (Part 65)  
> 15\. Wherever You Are, There I Am (Part 8)  
> 16\. Perfect (Part 16)  
> 17\. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Part 49)  
> 18\. Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings (Part 14)  
> 19\. Incentives (Part 93)  
> 20\. Cobble Hill (Part 4)  
> 21\. The Sunnybrook (Part 51)  
> 22\. House Warming (Part 15)  
> 23\. 30 (Part 30)  
> 24\. Hong Kong (Part 35)  
> 25\. Twenty Questions Over Brunch (Part 11)  
> 26\. When A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (Part 86) (  
> 27\. Hildy (Part 5)  
> 28\. Burgers & Lies (Part 9)  
> 29\. You Say You Want A Revolution (Part 22)  
> 30\. Unexpected Gifts (Part 70)  
> 31\. Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth (Part 12)  
> 32\. Fight Night (Part 20)  
> 33\. Fear and Loathing (Part 42)  
> 34\. With The Band (Part 53)  
> 35\. The Scarecrow (Part 59)  
> 36\. An Island Of His Own Making (Part 74)  
> 37\. Pas de Deux (Part 75)  
> 38\. Take It Back (Part 76)  
> 39\. Alumni Of The Year (Part 90)  
> 40\. Into Thin Air (Part 17)  
> 41\. Haunted (Part 58)  
> 42\. It Sings To Me (Part 84)  
> 43\. Ask Me And I’ll Tell You No Lies (Part 94)  
> 44\. Let The Sun Shine (Part 92)  
> 45\. It’s Just Like Falling (Part 27)  
> 46\. Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? (Part 7)  
> 47\. Life With The Arrow (Part 23)  
> 48\. Up All Night (Part 6)  
> 49\. Welcome Home (Part 10)  
> 50\. Deadshot (Part 62)  
> 51\. Better Than Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Part 24)  
> 52\. The Right To Remain Silent (Part 61)  
> 53\. Home Is Where You Are (Part 2)  
> 54\. Somebody Get A Hammer (Part 26)  
> 55\. Tush Push (Part 48)  
> 56\. Elves (Part 68)  
> 57\. Three (Part 13)  
> 58\. Life Lived In The Tabloids (Part 18)  
> 59\. Baby Talk (Part 91)  
> 60\. Tokyo Calling (Part 25)  
> 61\. Something Blue (Part 39)  
> 62\. I Do. I Do. I Do. (Part 82)  
> 63\. Prudence Chastity (Part 19)  
> 64\. Love Is Worth It In The End (Part 33)  
> 65\. The Mini (Part 38)  
> 66\. The Hall of Fame (Part 46)  
> 67\. A Name By Any Other (Part 47)  
> 68\. The Drop Out (Part 32)  
> 69\. Homework (Part 64)  
> 70\. Count Your Blessings (Part 71)  
> 71\. William (Part 29)  
> 72\. Hold On For One More Day (Part 31)  
> 73\. I Have No Gifts To Bring (Part 72)  
> 74\. Yours, Mine, Ours (Part 37)  
> 75\. Rules Are Made To Be Broken (Part 55)  
> 76\. The Forty-Year-Old Graduate (Part 78)  
> 77\. Take Me Out To The Ballgame (Part 83)  
> 78\. Hope Is Believing In The Light When All You See Is Darkness (Part 52)  
> 79\. Emma (Part 77)  
> 80\. Open Up And Say Ah (Part 60)  
> 81\. Tommy Merlyn’s No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Day (Part 81)  
> 82\. I Would Not Trade What Might Have Been For What Is (Part 50)  
> 83\. Brothers (Part 45)  
> 84\. Saturdays With The Green Arrow (Part 34)  
> 85\. True Love (Part 87)  
> 86\. Hallelujah (Part 69)  
> 87\. The Green Arrow Did It (Part 73)  
> 88\. Strawberry Milkshake With A Side Of Why (Part 56)  
> 89\. All About The Jeans (Part 54)  
> 90\. A Bunny For Prue (Part 63)  
> 91\. Day 107 (Part 67)  
> 92\. Genius Child (Part 89)  
> 93\. Boys Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Girls Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Boys (Part 57)  
> 94\. Scars (Part 79)  
> 95\. Tummy Aches and Heart Aches (Part 66)  
> 96\. Gut Punch (Part 80)
> 
> Welcome to any new readers who have stumbled into this universe. The more the merrier.
> 
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

“Toss me the line,” Tommy held out his arms towards Felicity.

Felicity stood at the bow of the boat with the mooring line in her hands. Her brow was furrowed and her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth. She looked at the rope and then back to Tommy. “I was never any good at sports that involved throwing,” she confessed.

“That’s all right. Gravity is going to do all the work,” he made grabby hands at the rope.

He watched with amusement as she reared back and then let the rope go. He’d been right, gravity did all of the work and the rope dropped straight over the side – straight into the water. He pulled the heavy wet rope from the bay and began to tie the boat off. He was doing his best not to laugh.

“I’m sorry,” Felicity leaned over the railing. “That was worse than I thought it was going to be.”

He grinned up at her, “That’s okay. Tomorrow, I’ll throw the rope and you can tie her off.”

She looked worried, “As bad as I am at throwing, I’m even worse at catching.”

“Then we’ll work on your throwing,” Tommy promised as he finished tying the boat off.

He joined Felicity back on the Sunnybrook to gather what little they brought aboard and to make sure everything was safely stored below deck. Tommy stood up from where he was inspecting the rigging and looked towards Felicity who was staring out across the bay. The sight of his new friend put a smile on his face. She arrived for her first time sailing dressed like a nautical fantasy. Felicity was wearing a pair of white capris and a navy blue and white striped shirt with a boat neck collar. She had on a pair of navy blue sneakers and sunglasses with a thick white frame, pushed up on top of her head. Her usual ponytail had been replaced with a french braid. Felicity spotted him staring and waved. “The one thing they never warn you about sailing,” she said with a grin, “is how hungry it makes you. I’m starving.”

A knot loosened in Tommy’s chest. He hadn’t wanted this day to end. The day on the ocean with Felicity had been perfect. She was enthusiastic and a quick study and was manning the helm before the sun had peaked in the sky. It had been a long time since he’d felt free of guilt and grief. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been until Felicity showed up on his doorstep. He was grateful to have an excuse to prolong his time with the tiny blonde, “What do you feel like? I know a great place we can go for oysters, or, there’s a new farm to table place by my apartment.”

Felicity wrinkled her nose, “Does the oyster place have a view of the water?”

“Two Lights, has a view of the water and two lighthouses,” he took her hand and helped her down from the boat onto the dock.

“Do they have food other than oysters?”

“You don’t like oysters?”

“I’ve never had them, but they don’t look very appetizing.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing, but Two Lights has more than oysters.”

Felicity turned back to look back towards the boat, “Let’s go for oysters, I’m not ready to leave the water yet.”

 

Tommy poured Felicity a second glass of champagne as she stared at the platter of oysters the waitress had just placed in front of them. They were seated on the restaurant’s dock, overlooking the bay and Starling City’s skyline. “You don’t need to eat one. This isn’t a test,” he held out an oyster.

She took the oyster from him, “My mom taught me to try everything once.” Felicity watched Tommy as he held an oyster to his lips and tilted his head back. She placed the shell to her lips, wrinkled her nose and tilted her head back. Her eyes went wide as she ate the oyster and then she smiled, “It’s sweet and salty – it tastes like the ocean.”

He watched her prepare another oyster and smiled as she ate her second oyster. She bounced in her chair doing a little happy dance. “I think I’ve created an oyster fiend,” he was surprised by how happy her simply enjoying an oyster made him.

“I can’t believe I haven’t tried them before.” She took a sip of her champagne. “They look so gross, but taste so delicious.”

“Didn’t your mom teach you to never judge a book by its cover?” he teased.

“You,” she picked up another oyster, “have never met my mother.”

Tommy was still surprised that her mom was a cocktail waitress and not a computer scientist or a dentist. He still imagined that Felicity’s mom was an older version of her. Smart and beautiful with a propensity to babble. “What was it like growing up in Vegas?”

The smile fell from her face, “It was hot and dusty.”

“Not a fan of Sin City?”

“Vegas isn’t so glamorous when you live there. Vegas looks different when you enter every building through the employee entrance.”

“Ollie and I spent quite a few drunken weekends in Vegas,” he could feel his cheeks redden with embarrassment as some of his wilder memories came rushing back.

Felicity snorted and quickly covered her nose and mouth with her napkin, “Picking the pockets of drunken frat boys was one of my favorite hobbies.”

It was Tommy’s turn to snort. When she tilted her head in confusion he realized she wasn’t kidding, “Oh, you’re serious.”

“I used to do my homework at Caesar’s as I waited for my mom to finish her shift in the high rollers’ room. I made some interesting friends – one of them taught me to pick pockets. Drunk frat boys were my favorite targets. I’d lift their wallets and either run after them and tell them they dropped it, or, I’d turn them in to the bartender. I never took any of their money.” She shrugged as she picked up another oyster, “I was bored.”

He tried to picture a younger Felicity stalking him and Ollie as they drunkenly stumbled through a casino and he found he didn’t like the thought of her ever seeing him that way. “We would’ve been easy picking.” He shook off the unpleasant feeling. “Other than teaching you to pick pockets, what was it like growing up?”

“My mom was a bit wild when she was younger. She dropped out of college and married my dad when she was eighteen – had me, seven months later. He left when I was seven. He was a genius and - a criminal. Mom supported us the best she could. We didn’t always have it easy, but she loved me.”

Tommy reached across the table and squeezed her hand, “I guess having criminal dads who abandon their children is something we have in common.”

She grimaced, “Not the best club to belong to.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said truthfully. He hated the idea of Felicity having to know any kind of heartbreak.  

Felicity’s gaze fell onto the water and the setting sun, “I sometimes forget how beautiful Starling is.”

“She’s not at her best,” the smile fell from Tommy’s face. “It’s going to take a lot to bring her back after what my dad did.”

She reached for his hand and squeezed it, “It’s not that. I just spend all of my evenings under you.”

Tommy had the misfortune of taking a sip of his champagne as she was talking and he began to choke.

Her eyes went wide, “Oh, my god – not under you under you, but under you in the basement of your club. I’m either at QC or in the basement – no time for sunsets.” She bit her lip and looked at him with worry, “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, that doesn’t even come close to the worst thing I’ve ever said to Oliver.”

Tommy took a sip of water and dabbed his eyes with his napkin, “I find that hard to believe.”

“I once went undercover to a casino to count cards. Oliver was waiting outside for my signal, so I had to wear an earwig. He was being sweet and reassuring me that he was right outside and would be there if I got into trouble.” Felicity bit her lip and turned bright red, “I told him – I told him, it felt good having him inside me.”

Tommy sat in stunned silence for a second as he pictured the face Oliver must have made when he heard her say that and he began to laugh. Felicity’s face broke into a grin and then she joined him. “I totally heard what you said about counting cards, but I’m going to put a pin in that because I need to know, what did he say?” Tommy asked when he finally regained control.

Felicity tried to keep a straight face, “I kept talking, trying to undo what I said. I finally told him that I was going to stop talking.” She paused for dramatic effect. “He told me – that would be my preference.”

Tommy burst out laughing at the thought of his friend being flustered by the woman sitting in front of him. Felicity was like no woman Oliver or Tommy had ever known. Felicity was smart and beautiful, but there was something about her that set her apart.  He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he was drawn to her.  He was completely charmed by her innuendo laced babbles and her seemingly limitless capacity for a compassion and kindness.

The only people who had been kind to Tommy since the undertaking were Moira and Thea.  Quentin Lance was too caught up in his own grief to worry about Tommy.  The detective was drinking again.  He was on leave from the SCPD, which left him free to spend his days and nights drowning in booze.  Tommy was doing his best to make sure that Lance didn't end up dead.  He owed it to Laurel and Sara to make sure their father didn't self-destruct, but he was worried that it wouldn’t be long before there were three headstones that read, Lance, in the cemetery.  He made sure there were groceries in Lance's refrigerator and had left his name and number at all the detective’s favorite watering holes.  If Lance didn't pull his act together soon, Tommy was going to reach out to Dinah and ask her for help with an intervention. He wasn’t going to let his dad destroy another life. 

As for Tommy's, so called, lifelong friends, they’d dropped him as soon as he'd been touched by scandal.  His phone had stopped ringing and all his invitations had dried up. His employees at Verdant and his small army of lawyers were civil to him, but most of them looked at him with pity. Strangers on the street cursed him and told him that he should’ve been the one who died in his dad’s act of terrorism.  He couldn't say he disagreed.  If he could give his life to bring back the five hundred and three who had died by his dad’s hand, he would.

Tommy forced himself to stop thinking about how sucky his life was and focused back on Felicity. She was bathed in the soft light of the setting sun.  Her blonde hair was almost red from the glowing embers of their perfect day’s setting sun.  He couldn't picture her stuck in Verdant’s dank basement as Oliver plotted his assassinations.

“How did you and Ollie meet?” he finally asked the question he’d been dying to ask from the moment he first met her.

Felicity’s face softened with the memory, “He brought me a laptop full of bullet holes. He told me he spilled a latte on it. When I told him that the damage looked like bullet holes, he told me that his coffee shop was in a bad neighborhood.”

Tommy started to laugh, “God, Ollie was always the worst liar.”

“He’s the worst,” Felicity agreed.

“So, you helped him because he was cute or because his name was on the side of the building?” he asked with curiosity.

“Neither,” she shook her head, “it was a laptop full of bullet holes. I was curious. I needed to know what was on the laptop as much as he did. After that, he kept coming back to ask for crazy favors with even more ridiculous lies.”

Tommy sank back in his chair as he realized something, “He was smitten.”

“What?” Felicity looked shock. “No. With me? Oliver doesn’t see me that way. I’m just his tech support.”

“I highly doubt that you’re just anything – to anyone.” Tommy sat quietly as he studied the woman across from him. On paper, Felicity might not be the kind of girl Oliver would go for, but the reality of Felicity Smoak was quite different. Tommy was willing to bet that his best friend was in love with his tech support. It made Oliver’s decision to sleep with Laurel all the more perplexing. Tommy couldn’t fathom why Oliver would risk their friendship and Laurel’s heart when he had feelings for another woman. Not for the first time since Oliver disappeared, Tommy wished he was there to answer his questions.

Felicity squirmed under his gaze, “You okay?”

“Sorry, got lost in my head,” he tried to reassure her. “So, Ollie asked for favors, lied to you and you figured out he was the Hood?”

“I would’ve figured it out, eventually. After Walter was kidnapped, I went to Oliver with this notebook Walter had given me. When he’d given me the book, it appeared to be blank, but after I worked on it, it was full of names. Some of the names were of people the Hood had killed or helped bring in. When I went to Oliver, I could tell that he’d seen the book before - such a terrible liar,” she grinned. “A few days later, he came to me dressed as the Hood, but he revealed himself. He asked for my help.” Felicity took a shaky breath as whatever she was remembering replayed in front of her eyes. Her eyes eventually came back into focus and she smiled apologetically, “Diggle showed me that Oliver had the same notebook, but he had gotten his from his dad. I agreed to help him until he found Walter, but after we found Walter, we knew that something bigger was going on that we needed to stop.”

Realization dawned on his face, “You’re the one who hacked into Merlyn Global’s mainframe?”

She cringed, “Sorry?”

He shook his head, “No, it’s okay. Ollie told me that he’d hacked in to find out my dad’s plans. He told me about only finding the one earthquake machine. I just didn’t put two and two together until now.” Tommy struck the center of his forehead with the heel of his hand, “You’re the one who hacked in, not Ollie.”

Felicity waved and then extended her hand for him to shake, “Hi, I’m Felicity Smoak, I was your cyber terrorist.”

He shook her hand, “Honored.”

They returned to eating their meal and drinking champagne. They spoke about their time on the boat and where they should sail to next. She expressed her concerns about QC and he shared his worries about Moira and Thea. It was the first time since Laurel’s death that he’d had anyone to confide in. It felt good to share some of what he’d been going through with a sympathetic and non-judgmental ear.

"You don't quite add up," Tommy rested his arms on the table as he watched her sip her champagne.

Felicity's eyebrows rose, "How so?"

"You don't seem to be the type of girl to get involved with a bloodthirsty killer," he was unable to keep the anger from his voice. He was furious that Oliver would drag someone like Felicity into his dangerous plans. Malcolm could’ve so easily killed her for interfering in his plans.

She frowned, " I know you're upset with him.  You have good reasons to be, but he's not bloodthirsty."

"But, he is a killer," he challenged.

Felicity worried her napkin between her fingers, "I won't make excuses for him.  He did what he thought was necessary."

"Was it necessary?" Tommy wanted to believe that Oliver had no choice, but he knew that when it came to life and death, there was always a choice to make.  Malcolm turning out to be a murderer had not been a surprise to his son.  Oliver killing people, while roaming around in grease paint and leather, had been devastating. Tommy felt a sharp pain in his chest every time he thought of what Oliver must’ve gone through in order to return home a killer.

"Killing was never his opening move," she explained.

"It might not have been his opening move, but if they didn't comply with his demands, it was his closing move." Tommy leaned forward, "That's not a hero. That's a murdering bully. I should know, my father was one."

"You’re wrong. He saved a lot of people from some really bad people. You weren’t there, you don’t understand," Felicity said defensively.  "We helped a lot of people."

“Help me to understand,” he said earnestly. “Explain to me how Ollie becoming judge, jury and executioner is a good thing.”

“I can’t tell if you’re angry or if your hurt that he didn’t tell you sooner,” she narrowed her eyes to study him.

“I’m worried,” Tommy admitted. “He was gone for five years. What happened to him while he was gone? He was all alone on that island. There has to be a psychological cost to being alone for that long.”

“He’s not crazy, Tommy,” Felicity said gently. “I know what he’s been doing seems crazy, but he wants to save this city.”

“Then where is he?” Tommy snapped. “Why am I here trying to keep his family and business together while he’s off who knows where doing who knows what with whom?”

“He’s in pain,” she tried to reason.

Tommy scoffed, “I’m in pain. This whole damned city is in pain. Why is his pain more special?”

“It isn’t. Oliver just isn’t good at sharing his feelings.”

“He used to be. I used to know what he was thinking. I used to know who he was.”

Felicity sighed, “I don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t know him before. I don’t know if this is different behavior for him.”

 Tommy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He wasn’t angry with Felicity. He was frustrated with – everything. He needed Oliver and he was furious that his friend had run, once again. “No, this is typical Ollie behavior. He runs instead of facing his feelings.”

“He’ll come home, I know he will,” Felicity smiled tentatively.

“He blames himself for Laurel’s death. He blames himself for all of the dead.” Tommy ran his hands over his face, “I don’t think he will come home. Not on his own.”

“There’s enough blame to go around. He doesn’t need to carry those deaths on his own,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Hey,” Tommy touched her hand briefly, “I’m sorry, I’m being an ass. If it wasn’t for you disabling that machine, there would’ve been a lot more casualties.”

Felicity shrugged, “We still failed. Oliver likes to tell the criminals he confronts that they failed this city,” she gazed out over the water, “but that night, I failed this city.”

“My father failed this city. If it hadn’t been for you, Mr. Diggle and Oliver, well, I don’t want to imagine what would’ve happened if both devices went off.”

“You know it’s not your fault either,” Felicity said kindly.

“It’s hard not to believe that it is,” Tommy admitted. Most days, he was able to convince himself that he had no way of knowing what his dad had been up to. Tommy had spent most of his life trying to avoid his father. He didn’t know what his dad ate for breakfast every day, so, he couldn’t be expected to know that his father had been involved in a conspiracy to commit mass murder. He was able to find solace in that thought during the day, but at night, there wasn’t any comfort. Every time he closed his eyes he could hear the screams and cries of his father’s victims. Every night, he relived Laurel dying in his arms. “He was my dad. I knew, better than anyone, what he was capable of. When he told me he wanted to close down my mom’s clinic, I should’ve realized something else was going on. I’d just been so angry that he was trying to shut down her legacy.” He wiped his hand over his eyes. “Now, her legacy is the death of all those people.”

Felicity reached across the table and took hold of his hand, “You are your mother’s legacy.”

His father had been right about one thing. He had been a waste. He’d done nothing with the education and privilege he’d been given. Tommy was embarrassed and felt more than a little shame at Felicity’s words, “I’m not much of a legacy.”

“I don’t think that’s true, but if you do, what are you going to do about it?” she challenged.

He looked out across the twinkling lights of the city. There was so much work to do to make amends. Tommy wasn’t like Oliver. He wasn’t a fighter, he never had been. He couldn’t put on a mask and a pair of leather pants and make Starling safer. What he had was an enormous trust fund and a desire to live up to becoming the kind of person his mom wanted him to be. He needed to find a way to get his mom’s clinic back up and running. He needed to find a way to honor Laurel. A Merlyn might’ve tried to destroy the Glades, but it didn’t mean that another Merlyn couldn’t try and help to rebuild. Tommy returned his attention to Felicity, “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to do something.”

“I’m sure you’ll do something impactful,” she squeezed his hand and let go.

“Thank you. Thank you for listening to me.” Tommy put on his most charming smile, “What’s next, my lady?”

“How do you think the dessert is here?” Felicity asked sheepishly.

“I don’t know, but how do you feel about ice cream?” he asked as he remembered her saying something about mint chip ice cream.

“I feel really good about it,” she grinned.

Tommy reached into his wallet and placed enough cash on the table to cover their bill and a generous tip. He rose from the table, “Have you ever been to, The Creamery?”

Felicity looked offended, “It’s practically my temple of worship.”

“Good, you can buy me an ice cream,” he teased.

Felicity’s eyes lit up, “That seems fair.”

She shivered a bit in the summer breeze. He removed his fleece and held it out to her. Felicity smiled gratefully and pulled the fleeced on. Her head and the sunglasses she had pushed up when the sun went down got stuck in the opening. Tommy chuckled as he helped her push her head through.

Felicity wrapped her arms around herself. “Warm,” she sighed as she tucked her chin against the fleece. “You smell good.”

Even in the darkness he could see her cheeks turn red. Taking mercy on her, he held out his hand, “Come on, you owe me a sugar cone with two scoops.”

She slid her hand in his, “I think today earned you two scoops.”

“And a sugar cone?”

“I’d go so far as to say that you earned yourself a waffle cone.”

“Felicity,” he grinned, “I think this might be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

She knocked her shoulder into his arm, “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> I apologize for being late with my posting. It has been a long week and the job that pays the bills required lots of extra hours that cut into my writing and editing time.
> 
> Prompt requests are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com
> 
> To make up for today's tardy posting, here's a sneak peek for Wednesday.
> 
> The doorbell ringing caused Tommy to wince. Bobby had just fallen to sleep and Tommy was ready for two hours to himself. He rose from the rocking chair and placed Bobby into his crib. He ran down the stairs two at a time to reach the front door before the doorbell could ring again. He flung the door open and a little breathlessly said, “Hi.”
> 
> A severe looking woman in her fifties glanced at Tommy’s face and then back at an open folder in her hands, “Thomas Edward Merlyn?”
> 
> Tommy sighed and held out his hand with his palm up, “It’s been awhile since I’ve been sued. I wonder what it is today.”
> 
> The woman furrowed her brow, “Excuse me?”
> 
> Tommy dropped his hand, “You’re not a process server?”
> 
> “No,” the woman pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, “my name is Alice Daly. I’m with Starling City’s Department of Children and Family Services.”
> 
> The smile fell from Tommy’s face, “What can I do for you, Ms. Daly?”
> 
> Alice held out a folded piece of paper, “This is a court order that permits me entry into your home and requires that you, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak meet with me and answer my questions. You are also required to allow my department to conduct a home study.”
> 
> Tommy took the document, “I don’t understand.”
> 
> “There’s been a complaint of child endangerment filed with our department and we are obligated to investigate.” She pointed to the interior of the house, “Mr. Merlyn, you have to let me in.”


End file.
